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Having taken the horse into the barn and stabled him, Tim gave him food and water and then went on to grooming him. He was done in time, and checking once more the manger full of hay, he left the stallion in peace. He was latching the stall door behind him when he heard someone enter the barn. He looked up and was surprised to see his sister, who he thought was still in the loft.
"Where have you been?" he asked.
"I took that cat down the road a bit and set him off. Cook said that I needed to take him some way from here." Tim nodded and turned to go on to another job, but Wren trotted up to his side. "Did you know there's a party today? It's getting almost time!" She spoke excitedly, quite unaware of Tim's sour mood towards her. . .still. "And Ginger's found a dress for me and I'm about to go in and see if I can help with anything!"
"Yes, you do that," Tim said, anxious that she should leave before she took it in her head to explain the said dress. "But for goodness' sakes, don't get in anyone's way!" Wren scampered off with a very sure 'Oh, I won't!' and disapeared through the bright, sunlit doorway.
She ran across the inn yard and walked into the kitchen. The door was propped open, allowing the fresh breeze and air flow into the heated kitchen. Buttercup was the only one there, working at the counter with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her hands working deftly over what appeared to be some sort of cookie dough. Wren approached her.
"Is there anything I can do to help, do you think?" she asked. Buttercup looked down, and her brown eyes twinkled. She pushed a stray strand of her brown hair back behind her ear with her floured hands.
"Oh, I don't know. Probably. Here's Ginger - ask her." She nodded towards the hobbit who'd just arrived through the door.
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